


Trust Me

by MistressofMischief



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: AU, Carnival, Dark Loki, F/M, Knifeplay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-11
Updated: 2015-04-04
Packaged: 2018-01-18 22:39:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1445455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistressofMischief/pseuds/MistressofMischief
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU: Darcy's getting stressed at her internship.</p><p>Things were going so well, but then Thor showed up and everything sped up to the point where she's tripping over herself trying to keep up with Jane and her work.</p><p>She just needed a break!</p><p>Enter the carnival 'Helheim' and a mysterious knife thrower that catches her attention.</p><p>Takes place post Thor</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I need to stop starting new fanfics before I finish working on prompts and oneshots.  
> But this wouldn't leave me alone!  
> It's inspired by the movie 'The Devil's Carnival' (the song 'Trust Me' to be more specific)
> 
> This work is unbeta'd. So any mistakes or any writing errors are mine own.
> 
> It will be continued! Two more chapters to go!

"No, Darcy. This is the wrong chart! I'm looking for the readings from two nights ago." Jane yelled to Darcy as she went to her desk.

"Sorry.Sorry.Sorry." Darcy chanted as she brought her the right chart. Today was not her day. she was late to work. The coffee machine broke. A sandstorm had passed through the night before. And with the windows open, the wind sent all the files off their desks and about the room in unorganized chaos. So, she was spending the morning transcribing notes for Jane while organizing the files, and providing Jane with the right data so she could write new notes for Darcy to copy. She was feeling a bit scatter-brained. 

She handed Jane the right file (she hoped).

Jane sighed, "Listen, it's been a long day. Why don't you take the rest of the night off?"

All too ready to leave and start the day anew, Darcy eagerly accepted the suggestion and left.

It wasn't that she didn't love Jane or the opportunity to earn credits for her internship. She just didn't understand astrophysics or find it as fascinating as she thought she would. So sometimes her work fell flat.

Ready to relax and forget her stresses, she was so ready for a night on the town. If only she lived in a city that had a nightlife. Sighing, Darcy buttoned up her coat and headed for her apartment. 

 _I wish I could just go somewhere exciting, like Asgard or Alfheim_. She had been reading up on Norse Mythology and all the other possible realms. _They sound like fun and exciting places to visit._

It was all Thor's fault. If he hadn't been sent to Earth, then everyone would've happily gone about theorizing. Before, Jane had been patient with Darcy. She taught her things about astrophysics slowly so that she would understand different tasks.  Now, Jane knows what's out there, and she's more determined than ever to get to Asgard, to Thor, leaving Darcy in the dust. 

She was just tired and frustrated with it all. 

A gust of wind picked up, blowing bits of dust around. Darcy adjusted her scarf and tucked herself into it as she walked. 

Suddenly, a piece of paper flew into her face.

"What the hell?!" She shouted, grabbing at the paper on her face.

Darcy turned the light on her phone to look at what hit her.

The first thing she saw was a circular symbol on the top. It reminded her of Gallifreyan, but it was somehow different. As she stared at the symbol, the shapes within it appeared to be moving. 

She blinked and looked again. The symbol stopped moving. Confused, Darcy looked at the rest of the paper. It was a flier for a carnival

"Helheim," Darcy read. 

_Strange. No one said anything about a carnival..._

It was a couple miles out of town and would only be there for the week. Curiosity winning out, she decided to go check it out. 

~x~

Darcy parked in the designated area, about a block away from the carnival. She walked from there to the entrance, the sand whipping past her at her knees. 

Shielding her eyes from the wind, she smelled and felt the heat of flames before looking up to see them  flickering above the gate of the carnival. It engulfed and shaped the same symbol she saw on the flier.

Below it were the gates to the carnival, the name 'Helheim' spelled out in iron bars. Flamethrowers and contortionists lined a path to the gate. Darcy stood there a moment, in awe of the sight.

A bump to her shoulder broke her trance. A group of people walked by dressed for the occasion. Darcy eyed them curiously, _cosplay?_

Shrugging, she continued on to the ticket booth.

The ticket master looked like an aged steampunk Oswalk Cobblepot. "Ticket please."

She bit her lip and held up the flier, "I actually don't have a ticket, and this flier didn't mention ticket prices. How much for a ticket?"

He took the flier from her, examining it. His eyes lit up with recognition, "Oh. You're all set, miss."

"Really?" She asked suspiciously, "Why?"

The ticket master showed her the flier, point to the bottom. A small bit of writing read, "This flier good for one ticket."

With a flourish, he smiled and waved her on, "Please, enjoy."

_Creepy..._

The carnival had multiple tents and various paths to walk down. Darcy kept to one path as she explored, not wanting to get lost.

Of course, that's exactly what happened as she took mandatory turns and the tents all looked the same.

Instead of getting frustrated, though, she decided to go ahead and lose herself for a bit. Walking around she saw snake charmers, more contortionists, belly dancers, and more. She walked in a few tents and caught freakshows and singing acts. One in particular had a bit of a performance behind it; a woman being whipped by a man as another man dressed like a hobo sung about greed. It was rather strange, but enjoyable.

Afterwards, she kept walking around, stopping for a snack now and again.

Distracted by all the sights around her, Darcy was startled when something slithered along her collarbone. 

Jumping aside, her back against a cage, she looked around to find what scared her. Another one of those cosplayers were standing beside where she was with a snake on their shoulders. It was slithering off his shoulder, hovering in the air, towards Darcy. She let out a settling breath. 

"Just a snake.." she breathed."Whew."

The cosplayer and his friends walked on down the lane, away from where she stood. She watched as the snake stayed staring at her as they moved away. 

"Well, hello there, Darling," crooned a British voice from behind her. 

Darcy shrieked as she spun around, hand to her chest. 

Behind her, in the cage, was a man with chin-length hair slicked back but for a rebellious strand that hung above his eyebrow. He wore an army green thermal with a leather jacket.  But what caught her attention was his eyes. He had the most startling emerald green eyes. They glowed in the firelight, drinking her in. His mouth smirking at her reaction.

"Dont. DO that!" She reprimanded. 

"Apologies," he drawled as he bowed his head and shoulders. His cage allowing him only so much room to do so. It was just big enough for him to sit in it, his legs sprawled out beneath him. 

Looking at it, she wondered why he was in there. 

"Why are you in there?" She asked. "Is it some sort of act?"

His eyes met hers as he looked to her again. He smirked, "Not exactly. My talents lie-." Eyeing her up and down, he continued, "-elsewhere."

She shivered at that before narrowing her eyes at him. _Jerk_. "Fancy cage for a dog," she snapped back at him.

His smirk widened, eyes dancing in the firelight, as he brandished a dagger. Beckoning her with his eyes, he showed her a trick or two, twirling it around his fingers. Suddenly he tossed it. The dagger whipped past her and landed on the symbol of a flier stapled to a post across the path. 

"Knife thrower actually," he said as she turned back to him. Her eyes were wide and mouth agape with shock and growing rage.

"What the hell, dude?!" She yelled at him.

She shoved him and continued shouting, "Who do you think you are, Mr. knife thrower, to just throw your knives at unsuspecting people?!"

He grabbed her hand after she shoved him. Darcy tugged it back, but his grip was unrelenting. Catching her eyes, he brought her hand to his lips as he said, "Loki." He kissed her hand. Keeping his lips against her skin, he spoke further, "Performer of mischief and chaos at your service."

His grip had lessened slightly, so she took the opportunity to take her hand back.

"Mischief and chaos," she scoffed. "Though, I guess that explains why you're in a cage."

Hand still in the air, he moved it to hold onto the bars in front of him. Moving himself agains the bars, he inquired, "And you are?"

Darcy took a step back.

"Outta here," she replied. She made to walk away before his hand reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Wait," he said.

She sighed before looking back at him, raising her eyebrows at him as a gesture to continue.

"Would you do me a kindness and release me from my cage?" He asked. 

Darcy narrowed her eyes at him, "Riiight. Nope. Not a chance."

She tugged on his grip, but he didn't let her go until after she finished tugging.

Putting his hands on the bars by his face, he asked, "Can you at least get me my dagger?"

She rose a questioning eyebrow.

"I have very few to begin with. It would be a shame to lose it before I'm released from here," he explained, his eyes pleading.

Darcy shook her head. _Oh my god. I'm so easy._  She turned around to retrieve the dagger. Pulling from the hilt, it remained stuck. Using her scarf and putting more weight behind it, she tried to pry it loose from the post. 

It slid from the post like a knife through butter. With a sharp intake of breath, she dropped the dagger. The blade had cut through her scarf and hand thanks to the pressure she put on it trying to pull it out.

"Shit!" She exclaimed.

It wasn't a deep cut but a superficial one, so it wasn't horrible. But it stung like she poured lemon juice on it.

Taking the scarf from around her neck, she wrapped it around her hand. Angrily, she looked down at the dagger, scooped it up, and stomped over to Loki. 

"Here!" She threw it at him.

He caught it against his chest before Darcy's finger caught his attention. She waved it at him, "Next time, hold onto your fucking knives! This better not be infected!"

Loki took her wrist and unwrapped her hand. He brought her palm to his lips, sucking and licking the cut while he pulled out a cloth from his jacket. A sharp breath in, her cheeks warmed as his tongue swept across her skin. Her hand tingled and numbed at the touch. She wriggled her fingers, every once in a while stroking his chin as she tried to maintain feeling in her hand.

She watched as he finished, and then wrapped her hand with his cloth. He brought her palm up to his lips again and kissed it. "Better?" He asked as she took her hand back.

Looking from him to her hand, she moved her fingers and assessed the damage. It seemed ok. _At least it doesn't sting anymore._

"Well," she said, looking from her hand to him, "as fun as this has been, I'm going to just go now."

Tilting his head, his single hair moving from above one eyebrow to the other. His eyes roved over her form, assessing her, before he spoke, "Will you return?"

She shivered uncomfortably under his gaze. His eyes were unsettling, but mesmerizing all the same. And that was so not a good thing. _Still_ , she fought within herself, _doesn't hurt to play a little._

"I guess you'll just have to wait and see," she replied. She turned to leave, raising her eyebrow enticingly, "Won't you?"

A wolfish grin spread on his face. His eyes followed her as she took a few slow steps before she finally turned and walked away. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Try as she might, Darcy can't stay away from Helheim.
> 
> Loki takes her on a tour of the carnival.

After Darcy got home from the carnival that night, she dreamed. 

Fire and dancing flitted across her dream. Images of the carnival creeped in. She drifted between playing a part in the carnival to watching events unfold as an outsider.

She dreamed of Loki. His green eyes and toothy smile appeared before her like a cheshire cat in the night. It startled her from her sleep, awakening her with a gasp. She looked around for the eyes that watched her, only to find that she was back in her room.

Rubbing her forehead with the palm of her hand, she spoke to the ceiling, "Get a hold of yourself, Darcy. It was just an act, a ploy probably, to play with young girls."

_Yeah, but he's just your type isn't he?_

"Oh shut up. I'm sure a lot of women go for that sort of thing... Right?"

_That still makes you one of them though. Doesn't it?_

"Shit!" Raising her hand up and waving away the thought, she said, "Doesn't matter, because I'm not going back there. I'm not."

_Yeah, just like you're not having a conversation with yourself._

"Ugh!" Darcy groaned. She rolled over on her side and tried to get back to sleep.

~x~

The next day had been relatively uneventful. Moments of it passed by quickly, Darcy having files to work on and organize. Other times, there was a lull, moments where Jane would need to think aloud. She wasn't sure if Jane expected her to pay attention, but she had made no point in telling Darcy to do so. So, she spaced.

Staring out the window, she looked across the desert. Even though the carnival wasn't far, she couldn't see it from the lab. The sunlight created a reflective surface over the flat landscape, obstructing her view.

Jane's voice broke her concentration, "Darcy, are you alright?"

"Hm?" She asked, looking to her boss. Jane had made her way over to Darcy. She was looking down at her hand. 

Darcy followed her gaze and saw that she was rubbing the dried cut on her palm. 

"Oh. Yeah!" She responded. "I just accidentally cut myself when I was trying to cut through a bagel last night. No big deal." She waved Jane off. 

"Now what were you saying about the...the um...That spacial...thing?" Darcy asked, trying to get the focus off her.

Jane rolled her eyes. "You weren't paying attention. Were you?"

Darcy shrugged and picked up her phone. "Hey, at least I got it on tape. I'll start writing notes now to go along with it, but it's good to have it word for word, right?"

The scientist nodded as if to shrug, assenting to her point. She looked back to her notes, trying to find her place among the myriad of thoughts running through her mind.

Meanwhile, Darcy looked down at her hand, rubbing the cut. She remembered the feel of his hand on hers, the way his lips felt brushed against her skin. She wondered if he ever got out of the cage.

_There's one way to find out..._

She shook her head, coming back to the present. Jane was talking again. So Darcy took the opportunity to lose herself in work, leaving thoughts of the carnival for a later time.

_If thought of at all really. The guy was a jerk! There's no way I'm going back there. No no no_

~x~

Darcy stood outside the gates of Helheim, staring up at the symbol.

 _I can't believe I came back here._  She thought as she walked to the Ticket Master. She had held out for a whole other day before coming back. _Oh well, at least they're only here for a week. And who knows? It's a big carnival, I may not even run into him again._

"One ticket, please?" She asked.

"Oh, back again, I see," said the Ticket Master.

She shrugged, "I didn't get to see much of it last night."

He smiled at her, a tired smile, "Oh, well I'm afraid we're all sold out for the night."

Darcy knit her eyebrows together, "Oh. Ok. Thanks anyway." She turned to walk back to the parking lot. "Guess it wasn't meant to be," she muttered as she walked. 

 _Yeah, but there's still two more days left before it picks up and leaves._  Darcy rolled her eyes at the thought. Her mind and body were definitely rebelling against her.

Walking for a minute, she came to a stop, seeing something that wasn't there the other night. Off to the side of the main path was a bonfire. The woman standing near it chanted things under her breath, throwing bits of something into the flames and turned the fire a different color. Darcy watched as she repeated the action. She saw flickers of blues, reds, and purples. Green flickered out and swirled within the flames for a minute before rising high and returning to its normal orange color.

The rise in flame brought Darcy's attention to her surroundings. She wasn't the only one around the fire anymore. There were a few other people and .. Loki stood across from her on the opposite side of the flames. He was sitting against a rock, wearing the same clothes as the last time she saw him. He was toying with a dagger while staring at her. 

Darcy felt the blood rush to her cheeks. How long had he been sitting there? Staring at her? 

Ducking her head, she bit her lip as she tucked her hair behind her ear. Not looking up, she sauntered her way around the fire to wear Loki was sitting and sat beside him. She glanced in his direction quickly before going back to watching the flames dance. He was looking at her. 

She rubbed her dry lips together, moistening them, and spoke, "So ... the dog escaped his cage, I see."

She glanced his way again, looking for his response.

In mock hurt, he put his hand to his chest and gasped. Leaning in close as he spoke, he said, "That hurts. For all you know, I was let out for good behavior." 

Rolling her eyes and head simultaneously, she let out a single laugh at that.

"We may have only just met, but I have trouble believing you are capable of 'good' behavior," she said, eyeing him warily.

Loki moved closer into her personal space. His face a breath away from hers as he said his next words, "Oh, given the right motivation, I can be very good." He finished by moving her hair behind her other ear, his thumb stroking her cheek as he went. 

Darcy shivered at his words as well as his touch. His gaze holding her there.

She breathed. Her eyes flitting from his eyes to his lips and back. "Huh. Pity your motivation's walking right out the door, then," she countered. She stood up. "Tickets are all sold out, which means, I'm on my way out."

Loki took a step back, "Well. Then allow me to be the one to escort you on a personal VIP tour, Miss..." He bowed, pulling a golden ticket out of nowhere and presented it to her. 

She chuckled, "Smooth. And my name is Darcy." taking the ticket from him to look at it. At first glance, it was gold ticket, but upon closer inspection she saw the burnt edges and 'Admit One' hole-punched into it. 

Holding his arms out and smiling, he bowed further at her words before straightening out. He held his arm out for her to take, waiting to show her around the carnival.

Darcy sighed as she looked at him, considering.

 _I did say I wanted more excitement._  They were only going to be in town for a few more nights anyway. She took his arm and asked, "What kinda stuff you got?"

He smirked and lead them towards the entrance to the carnival. "I guess you'll just have to wait and see. Won't you?" He taunted, mirroring her words from her first night at the carnival.

Darcy rolled her eyes and shook her head. She traded his gaze for looking at where they were going. Sure, she'd been there before. But if he were to abandon her, she needed to be able to find her way back.

~x~

Walking around with Loki, Darcy was able to see more of the carnival than the last time. 

There was a tent with a simple pond.

"Really?" Darcy said, looking around. "In the mood for quiet reflection?" She teased.

"Not exactly," he replied.

A woman walked in towards the pond.

"Watch," he told Darcy.

The woman looked in pain. Her face was worn, tired, and her eyes were red from crying. Bending down, she picked up a smooth round stone, one of many that lined the pond. Kissing it, she whispered, "I'm sorry." She took a deep breath and skipped it across the pond. It hit the tree on the opposite side and fell into the water. The surface rippled slowly to the water's edge. The tree grew a few more black leaves.

Darcy watched as the woman straightened and stretched. She sighed and turned around, a smile on her face. The woman looked as though she had the most relaxing sleep of her life, not a care in the world could bother her. Smiling to Darcy and Loki, she turned and with a few slow skips, she was out the door. 

"What .. was that?" Darcy asked.

"Pool of Infinite Sorrows." He brought her forward and picked up a stone. Showing it to her, he continued, "Throw a stone inside to rid yourself of your most painful memories."

Looking from Loki to the stone, she asked, "What happens when you skip it?"

He bent down to put the stone back, letting his fingers dip into the water swirl it around. Looking back up at her, he said, "The more skips, the more pain you erase."

"Huh," she said as she bent down next to him, waving her hand above the water. 

"Care to try?" 

She bit her lip at the possibility of losing her most painful moments. 

 _I wouldn't be who I am without them though_.

Taking her hand away, she shook her head, "Nah, I'm good."

Darcy stood and held her hand out for Loki, "Come on. Show me some more stuff."

Standing up, he took Darcy's hand, and they walked out of the tent.

From there, Loki took her to see illusionists, fortune tellers, and acrobatics. All were astounding and mystical. 

Every once in a while, he would find excuses to touch her or accidentally brush beside her. It wasn't exactly unwelcome, but she tried to maintain a hint of wariness. She'd been down that road before, with men just like him, and it never ended well for her.

In between tents, she and him talked. She asked him about his life in the carnival business, how he got into knife throwing, and what his routine was like.

He was vague on the specifics. Loki was born in a town like Puente Antiguo. He wanted to escape, so he used his charm and talents with a knife to get into the carnival when it came to his town. Hel, the ringleader to the circus, saw his potential and invited him to travel with them. He'd been there ever since.

His routine consisted of wowing the audience with his tricks and performances. He would play the 50's greaser, wooing the young debutant into helping him with his act. With elaborate gestures, he explained to Darcy how he would strap her to a target and fling daggers at her.

"Hasn't that been done before?" She asked.

"Each time is different." He told her, "For these past few nights, I've been without an assistant to play the part. So I've altered my routine every night to play tricks and mischief on the audience. The night we met, my mischief went too far and we lost a client."

"Which is why you were in the cage?" She asked.

He shrugged in response, not looking sorry at all.

Loki changed the subject, asking Darcy about her life in New Mexico. She told him the basics; how she got there, why she was still there, and how she worried she would never be able to move on because of her new bosses.

"You could always work here and join us," he offered.

Darcy scoffed at the idea, "Right. And do what? Sell tickets next to the penguin out there?"

He twirled her as he said, "You'll be my assistant, of course."

She laughed and he smiled at her. He brought her into his arms and joined in her laughter. Taking her chin between his index finger and thumb, he tilted her head to look up at him. She stilled when his lips ghosted over hers. 

Darcy tucked her lips in and pulled away. "As fun as that would be, I take issue with people throwing knives or daggers or whatever at me."

"As you recall when we first met," she admonished, raising an eyebrow at him.

He walked towards her. She walked backwards with each step.

"You were never in any danger." Loki explained, "I was merely performing my-" He reached out, grabbed her, and pulled her to him "-talents to the fair maiden."

Darcy shook him off, or tried to, and pushed at him to release her. "Watch it, buddy!"

He stepped back, raising his hands in surrender. Loki then gestured behind her and said, "Apologies, but I didn't think you'd want a concussion."

Turning around, Darcy saw that she was just about to walk backwards into the rope of a tent being pulled taut by a nail.

"Oh," turning around, she said, "Uh, thanks, I guess."

Brushing away at invisible dirt, she continued, "Listen, I'm going to go.." She pointed over her shoulder.

Loki took her other hand in his to stay her retreat.

"One more tent," he tried. His thumb brushed back and forth over her fingers as he looked into her eyes. 

Sighing, Darcy acquiesced to his request, "Alright. One more tent."

The tent Loki brought her to was filled with funhouse mirrors. Before she could pull away and reprimand him for wasting her time, he pulled her further in and clarified what lie within.

Each mirror represented a decision. There were mirrors for different paths not taken, mirrors for paths they were currently on, and mirrors that showed the paths they had yet to take. Each mirror showed what would have or could have been if they went down that road.

Loki brought her in front of a mirror that showed her the path she was currently on. Looking on, she saw herself sitting at the desk in the lab, Jane's form rushing in and out of frame. The image changed, papers swirled and equations flew by before settling on a new vision. Same scenario, different lab. Guards were posted at the entrance.

Mirror Darcy walked up to Jane with paperwork, "I thought once you finished our side of the Bifrost, we'd be able to travel to Asgard and be out of here. Not trapped in a lab with more work to do for SHIELD," she whispered.

"OH! I Didn't tell you." Mirror Jane said excitedly, "I leave for Asgard in the next few days!" 

"What?!" Mirror Darcy yelled in surprise.

Mirror Jane nodded. "What about me??" She continued. 

Jane shrugged, "I don't know. I guess SHIELD will have some work for you to do."

Mirror Darcy gaped at her, "It's just.. I thought. We were... I thought if I helped you, we'd be in this together, and I could go with you!"

Jane laughed, "Be real, Darce. What would you do in Asgard. It's a realm with magic. I mean, I could teach them about science. You'd probably end up a handmaiden or something."

Mirror Darcy's eyes teared up. As Darcy looked on the scene. Her eyes watered as the mirror changed again. It showed her stuck at a computer as a secretary doing paperwork. When she got up to go home, she took an elevator to a basement floor, stuck in a windowless apartment.

"No," she whispered.

Loki smirked behind her. His eyes were alight with mischief. What he didn't tell Darcy was that there were mirrors in here that showed people their worst fears. Adjusting his facial features, he moved to her side, a look of concern and comfort on his face. He took her chin and kissed her nose.

"There, there," he comforted. "Let me show you a happier story."

He moved her to a circular mirror hung up on a post. It showed her wearing a 1950's dress, performing with Loki in front of an audience. A map appeared before the scene, showing all the different cities, countries, and realms. Darcy gasped at that. 

"What?" She breathed. 

"Yes. There are other realms, Darcy. We can travel them all," he whispered in her ear. 

She shivered at the promise, her eyes still on that possible future. 

Darcy looked happy, like her old sassy, snarky self. Like she was now, with Loki.

She watched as Mirror Darcy played at swooning, letting Loki kiss her with a passion she could only imagine. Darcy bit at the skin of her bottom lip, sucking it between her teeth as she saw herself come undone. She was a good actor, but Darcy didn't think she was that good. Mirror Darcy moved away, strapped herself to the target, and waited as Loki readied to throw daggers at her.

Loki's lips traced the shell of her ear before he spoke. "Come away with me, Darcy."

Darcy let out a settling breath, but didn't move from her spot. Her eyes stayed, watching dagger after dagger fly at Mirror Darcy, a devilish smirk gracing her lips.

Loki brought her attention back to him. He placed his finger under her chin, turning her head to face him. Her eyes were the last to turn, meeting Loki's eyes as they burned into hers.

"Trust me," he whispered against her lips, searching her eyes. Before she could respond, he smashed his lips into hers, cutting off the thoughts she was trying to form. 

Darcy squeaked, her eyes wide with shock. Opening his lips, he flicked his tongue between her lips, requesting entrance while tasting her briefly. She opened her mouth slightly, to say something or in response to his request, she wasn't sure. The next thing she knew, Loki's and her tongue were dancing the tango. She moaned into the kiss, her eyes fluttering closed at the taste of him in her mouth.

Her hands and arms were trapped between his arms. Loki's hand moved from her chin to her neck, caressing her before moving to hold her shoulders. His hands moved, skimming down her form and resting on her hips. He gripped her there, pulling her closer. Molding to his form woke Darcy from her haze. 

With an intake of breath, she pushed at Loki. Taking the hint, Loki moved away from her, stopping the kiss. His eyes dilated with desire, he looked down at her as she caught her breath. He moved to stroke her cheek around the same time Darcy moved to smooth out his hair. It became slightly disheveled in his sudden move to kiss her. 

Holding her face with one hand while his other remained on her hip, he asked her, "So?"

"Uh," she began. Moving her hair out of her face, she brushed Loki's hand away.

"I'll have to think about it," she replied.

Clearing her throat, she stepped back and looked at her watch.

"I really gotta go." She looked up at him, "Early day tomorrow." She smiled nervously before moving around him to leave the tent and carnival.

Loki stared after her, grinning deviously. The scene in the mirror played on beside him. The last of his daggers flying at Darcy before fading in a swirl of green smoke. 

Darcy raced out of the carnival. 

_What the hell... Fumes... There had to be fumes in that tent to make attendees hallucinate. That's it._

Getting into her car, Darcy started the engine and went home. She mindlessly skimmed her lips with her fingers.

There's no way she saw what she saw. That future with Jane couldn't happen. She wouldn't let it. And that future with Loki...

_Well, let's file that away in the 'WTF' filing cabinet and never think of it again._

If only things were that easy.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Because this is your dream." He put his finger under her chin, looked deep into her eyes, and continued, "And you don't want it to stop."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Link to the song in this chapter. Listen if you want to know the pace and melody https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrITE-JE2jY

Darcy arrived at her apartment minutes later. She paced the floor of her living room, worrying her bottom lip at the thoughts now in her head.

_Jane would never ... and I certainly would never wear THAT outfit._

After about the third turn around, she realized she was still wearing her coat. Still pacing, she took it off and threw it to lay on the back of her couch. It landed but then slid to the floor with a *thunk*. 

Darcy paused her steps and looked down at it curiously. She didn't have anything in her pockets. Walking over to her coat, she bent down to check it for what caused the thud.

Her hands felt a thin rope and something attached to it. She pulled it out so she could examine it closer. 

It was a green stone surrounded by two intricate carvings made of a dark wood. The carvings were two snakes wrapped around each other. Their bodies formed the figure '8' as a result of them being woven together, the heads biting each other in the tail.

Darcy felt the detail of it, rubbing the pendant with her thumb as she tried to remember where it came from.

_When did.... Loki!_

Loki must have slipped it into her pocket when they were in the tent with the mirrors and her attention was otherwise... occupied.

Narrowing her eyes and thinning her lips, she looked at the pendant with determination.

"Well, if he thinks I'm going to return this to him and run away with him, he is sorely mistaken," she said aloud.

Darcy marched over to the trash can and threw the necklace in it with more than necessary force. She then spun around and disappeared into the bedroom to get ready for bed, hoping that a good night's sleep would clear her muddled mind.

**Something moved against Darcy's hand. Thinking it was some part of the bed sheet, she moved her hand in on herself.**

**The movement came again, but this time felt like a tickle against her nose. Assuming it was her hair, she wriggled and rubbed her nose before moving her hand next to her face and resuming sleep.**

**When the feeling came a third time, she felt something flick and nudge against her palm. Blinking her bleary eyes open, she was met with the sight of a snake inches from her face.**

**Shrieking, Darcy stood up in her bed, bouncing from foot to foot before jumping off the bed while staring down at the reptile. It bobbed its head, looking up at her before slithering under the covers and disappearing. With the snake out of sight, she was able to reduce her panic and try to think of what to do next. She looked around for something to grab it with or box it in. Only, when she looked around, she saw that she was no longer in her room, but in one of the carnival tents. Looking back, she noticed her bed was gone.**

**_Right. So... dream._ **

**Seeing that her vantage point was a little higher than usual, she looked down to find that she was standing on a table, a table that looked a lot like the dart board from Loki's act with handles, foot rests, straps, and everything. She also took note of the fact that she was wearing the dress from her vision. It was a light metallic green color with a light pink collar, and she was wearing saddle shoes.**

**Darcy frowned and her nose wrinkled in disgust. _Yep. Definitely a dream._**

**"And if it is?" Came Loki's voice from behind her.**

**Startled, she turned and backed away, forgetting that she was standing on a small surface. She started to fall backwards, trying to keep her balance with her arms. Loki grabbed one of her arms and pulled her towards him. The force of his pull caused her to land against his chest. His arms wrapped around her. Looking up, she saw his smiling face looking down at her.**

**"We have to stop meeting like this," she said. As soon as she moved away from him the table started to spin slowly. Not wanting to get dizzy and fall, she moved back to the center and found herself once again in Loki's embrace.**

**Looking around as the table rotated, she spoke to him while clutching his jacket, "Make it stop."**

**"I cannot."**

**She looked up at him. With a little panic in her voice, she asked, "Why not?" Even though she knew the answer.**

**"Because this is your dream." He put his finger under her chin, looked deep into her eyes, and continued, "And you don't want it to stop."**

**Then, he leaned down and kissed her.**

**Darcy felt dizzy. Whether it was from the kiss or the fact they were spinning, she didn't know. The only thing she knew was the next thing she knew. When she broke the kiss, she looked around and noticed they were somewhere different. They were still spinning though. Loki held Darcy in his arms and they were dancing, spinning around on a dance floor.**

**As they danced, she noticed that their wardrobe had changed. She wore a dark green one-shouldered dress. The fabric was pleated diagonally from shoulder to waist, meeting the fabric that wrapped around her just under her bust. The fabric of the skirt flared out and was three layers in three different lengths. From the should the fabric draped down her back like a cape or a train. Her wrists were covered with brass cuffs that had images of a tree with bits of norse writing around it that she couldn't translate.**

**She looked from her wrist cuff to Loki. Darcy saw that he was wearing a leather outfit similar to Thor's style, but with less metal and more leather.**

**And that's when it clicked. They were in Asgard. She was dancing with Loki in Asgard. At that moment, Loki spun her out before spinning her back in.  He looked upon her with a smile and eyes alight with affection. Dancing to the music and enjoying the fantasy she got lost in the moment.**

**_Loki's not so bad_. She thought. _Sure, he's a bit of an ass. But he's charming, smooth, and definitely has that whole 'sexy bad boy thing' going for him._**

**The music stopped. They stopped dancing for a moment before the next song started.**

**Loki took a step back. His small smile turned into a half smile. He took her hand in his, bowed at the waist, and kissed it. His eyes having never left hers, dilated slightly upon contact. His tongue peeked out, tasting her skin. Flashes of a memory played in Darcy's mind.**

**Darcy remembered a fire and a cage. Loki's green eyes drinking her in as he licked her wound clean.**

**_No no. Wait. This isn't right._  She thought, looking from Loki to their adjoined hands. _Loki's an asshole. He's not that charming. Sure he's a great kisser, but...he's not that good, not good enough to leave everyone and everything for._**

**Loki straightened up, keeping her hand in his, and pulled her in for another dance. When he spoke, he echoed his words from earlier that evening into her ear, " Oh, given the right motivation, I can be _very_ good."**

**His hand on her hip pulled her in closer. She could feel the contours of his body against hers.**

**Looking around she noticed that as they spun together, the scenery changed. They were now back in a carnival tent, but their outfits remained the same and the music still played.**

**She was so ready for this dream to be over.**

**But of course, this wasn't a normal dream. The kind where you could just blink and wake up. No. This had to be one of those dreams that kept going on and on, making you dread never waking up.**

**And then, as if things couldn't get any weirder, Loki started singing. Only, he wasn't singing. It was his voice, but his lips weren't moving.**

**It echoed throughout the tent, as if backtracked on layers of an audiotape.**

**_Trust me, Trust me_ **  
_**Darling Dear** _  
_**I'm so sincere.** _  
_**There's no need to tear.** _

**Darcy rolled her eyes at that as he spun her, singing:**

**_Trust me, Trust me_ **  
_**Honey, do** _  
_**Just like I trust you.** _

**As she finished spinning, she started marching towards the tent exit, hoping to escape this sudden musical. But Loki caught her by the wrist and spun her back into him. She struggled to get away as the lyrics continued.**

**_Babe, you're a hard game to catch_ **  
_**You fight and refuse** _  
_**Oh, your a wild little brute.** _

**Realizing this was happening whether she wanted it to or not, she decided to go along with it. Her brain was obviously working through her issues... or maybe she just needed to cut back on the Disney movies..**

**Loki smirked at her as she rolled her eyes. They stopped dancing.**

**The next lyrics came from his own mouth as he tilted her head up.**

**"Never tasted as sweet**  
 **A poison as you have."**

**He moved to kiss her, a quick kiss.**

**"You're a bad little love**  
 **And you're mine."**

**He nipped her nose with a quick peck of his lips. before taking her hand again and waltzing.**

**"So trust me, trust me**  
 **Darling Dear**  
 **I'm so sincere**  
 **There's no need to tear"**

**He spun her out and back at the next part. Darcy smiled, laughing to herself at the whole ridiculousness of it.**

**"Trust me, Trust me**  
 **Darling, Do...**  
 **Just like I trust you."**

**The waltzing continued.**

**"So don't cry, crybaby**  
 **All dressed in green."**

**"Hey!" Darcy admonished. Loki dipped her.**

**"How many kisses do you need?" He sang softly to her face before moving down her slanted form.**

**"One for your tummy." He kissed and nipped at her stomach. Darcy gasped.**

**He moved up her body, his mouth dragging along her gown until he found his way back to her face.**

**Looking down at her, his eyes were focused on her cheek.**

**"One for your cheek." He pecked both cheeks with a kiss before straightening himself. He smirked and crooned, "And one for the Devil inside - of - me."**

**And he let her fall.**

Darcy sucked in a breath. She kept falling and falling until her body hit the surface of her bed and she jerked awake.

Her heart raced as she woke and sat up. She looked around the room, taking inventory and seeing that everything was still as it was.

Just as her heart slowed and her body released its tension, her alarm went off. Sucking in a breath, Darcy leaned over and shut off the alarm. Her arm froze as she went to pull it back.

Sitting in front of the alarm clock was the pendant she had thrown away in the trash.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh god.
> 
> ok. So I can't resist putting lyrics in my fics nowadays.
> 
> I mean, the song DID inspire this fic.
> 
> And I kinda envisioned Loki singing it at some point. Better in her dreams than at some point during his actual performance....
> 
> ok, anyway *runs and hides*


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hel came from behind Loki to Darcy's side. She looked at Darcy as she spoke to Loki, "Oh, I like her." She took her chin and looked into Darcy's eyes, "The fires of Hell burn deep within you, darling."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No copyright intended.
> 
> Not beta'd, so all mistakes are mine own
> 
> Btw, Inspiration for Hel, and the actress who I envisioned in my head, is Famke Janssen.

Darcy paced in her kitchen. From getting coffee to adding cream, from eating a banana to getting and eating cereal, her eyes kept glancing over at the pendant that sat upon her counter. 

She paused mid-stride, eating her cereal, and stared down at the necklace, pondering.

_Return to Loki or don't return to Loki._

"Hm..."

_If I return it to him, that means I'll have to see him...and he'll keep trying to convince me to travel with him._

Darcy sighed and set down her cereal bowl.

_But if I don't return it to him, it could very well follow me everywhere, even after the carnival leaves. And I'm pretty sure it's the cause of my weird dream last night.._

She groaned. Short term, it didn't sound so bad, but in the long run? There's only so much her libido could take. Rolling her eyes, she grabbed the necklace, her bag and coat, and headed out the door.

 _Ok. So. Plan._ She thought as she took the stairwell.

Third level.

_First: Work at the lab_

Second level.

_Second: On lunch break, go to carnival and drop off the necklace with batman villain number two._

First Floor.

_Third:...Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Do not meander or dawdle. You're in. You're out. The carnival has its last two nights, and then they are out of here._

Nodding to herself in the affirmative with one nod, Darcy walked to work from her apartment.

~x~

The morning passed by rather quickly. It wasn't long before one o'clock rolled around and Darcy all but forced Jane to stop a minute to go get something to eat.

"Traitorous clock," she mumbled as she walked slowly back to her apartment to get her car. If she took her time getting there, Darcy could make herself drop the necklace off and leave. _No dawdling_ , she reminded herself.

When she arrived at the carnival, it was not as she expected. At night, it was alive with life. People performed. People wandered in wonder. And fires burned bright and long into the night. It was like stepping into another world where you could get lost, lose track of time.

Looking at the carnival now, though, you would never have known this. The gates were closed and locked. The fires were out. She could smell the ash of the fires that died. The whole place looked dull and grey, as if all charred and abandoned. 

"Hello?" Darcy called out. She moved to the gate and put her face against it to peek through. Her ears perked up to listen for sounds of life.

"Can I help you?" A voice sounded from behind her.

Darcy jumped and spun around. Behind her appeared a tall woman with dark black hair. She surveyed Darcy, calculating her with deep hazel eyes. It made her uncomfortable, but she couldn't look away. Her jet-black hair blew in the breeze. It reminded her of how ink flowed into water. She wore tight black leather pants, stiletto boots, a black tank top, and a black crochet poncho. Darcy's eyes widened as her eyes came across what lay attached at the woman's side, a whip.

"Ahem," the woman voiced impatiently. 

Her eyes shot back to the woman's face. Her arms were crossed, waiting for Darcy's answer. The woman's eyes narrowed and her mouth quirked in amusement at Darcy's reaction.

"Um..I'm here to see Loki?" She answered unsurely. 

The woman's eyelids widened in recognition as she inhaled and breathed, "Oh." Straightening her stance, she moved one hand to her hip, the other to her chin and she looked Darcy over again with renewed interest. "I see..." she said as she met her eyes again. She looked back at the woman curiously.

In response, the woman stretched her hand out, smiled, and greeted her, "I'm Hel, ringmaster of this carnival."

Hesitantly, she took the woman's hand and shook it.  Her hands were cold, fingers long and thin. Her skin felt cool to the touch and weathered like soft, crinkled paper. Formalities ingrained into her, she replied, "H-Hel is it? Nice to meet you."

Hel laughed, looked down at their joined hands, and back up at Darcy. "It's actually Helen." 

She stopped shaking their hands and leaned in as if telling a secret, "Hel just sounds more ominous and fitting for the Hellions." At Darcy's eyebrow quirk, she continued, "Travelers that follow the carnival."

Darcy 'ah'd and nodded in understanding. 

"Shall we, Darcy?" She gestured to the gate beside them.

Darcy took a step back from Hel as the gates creaked open, hand still in Hel's. 

"How did you-?"

"Loki. He mentioned you to me," she drawled out.

_Curious.._

She gestured towards the entrance.

 _Hadn't that been locked?_  She thought, looking at the swinging gate in confusion.

Taking a step away, her eyes moved back and forth between the gate and Hel.

"I really can't stay long." 

She pulled the necklace out of her pocket.

"I just came by to give this back to Loki," she said as she held the necklace out to Hel in her palm.

Hel took Darcy's hand in hers and looked down at the necklace. "Aah. Loki's invited you to join us, I see."

"Hm?" She wondered how Hel could've known that.

She took the necklace from Darcy, clasp first, and held it up to her as she explained, "When someone is invited to join our little family here at Helheim, they are given a token made by the member who invited them."

Hel took hold of the pendant, traced the snakes with the pads of her fingers. 

"Loki, has a thing for snakes," she mused aloud, smiling to herself. "And it appears he's already imbued it with the fires of Helheim."

She tsk'd, "Naughty boy. I'll have to put him in the cage for that." 

"Still," she said, handing the necklace back to Darcy. "He was not wrong in inviting you." Hel took Darcy's hand, stroking the base of her palm, "I sense great talent and potential in you, Darcy, and we'd love to have you join us."

Hel smiled reassuringly at her, holding Darcy's hand in between her own.

Darcy snatched her hand away, leaving the necklace between Hel's palms. 

"Right, well... That's also why I'm here. You see..." she began.

"Ah, I thought I heard voices out here," Loki spoke as he ran up to Hel and Darcy.

He bowed to Hel, "Madam Hel."

Hel's eyes followed his movements, a knowing look in her eyes and a smile on her face.  He looked up at her as he straightened and came back to her eye level.

 _Why was everyone so damn tall?_ came the passing thought.

Loki turned to Darcy. He took her hand and said, "Darcy," and kissed the back of her hand. The feel and the heat of his lips against her skin reminded her of her dream and the way his lips felt the night before. Her grip on his hand tightened. His tightened in return. She looked from their hands to his face. His eyes were watching her, amusement and desire could be read there. He knew the effect he had on her. 

Loki removed his lips from her, smirked, and continued in a low voice, "So, good to see you again."

Realizing her mouth was slightly agape, Darcy schooled her face to look annoyed. She took her hand back and replied skeptically, "Yeah...Like you didn't know I would be back."

"Have you considered my offer?" He asked with a smirk. She tightened her hands into fists. It was a mixture of anger and annoyance. She was angry at him for being so... so him, and she was annoyed at herself for finding his alluring demeanor so attractive.

"Yes, and I was just telling Hel here," she gestured to Hel with a nod, who was watching them both with amusement. "That I will not be joining you on this little adventure."

"Surely not," he answered.

"Surely yes!" She snapped back, "I mean, no... Just.. I'm not going to go with you and be your little companion. This is not Grease, and I am no one's Sandra D!"

In the midst of her ranting, she had been wagging her finger at him. She curled her finger in and lowered her arm.

Loki took that arm and pulled her against him. His other hand resting on her back, pressing her against him. He rubbed her back, sending chills her spine and causing heat to gather below, before reaching up and moving hair aside. At the same time, he leaned into her face until the skin of their noses touched. 

"Quite the little fiery one, aren't you?" He whispered against her lips.

She let out a shaky breath before replying, thankfully with a strong voice, "You better be careful." She tried to take her arm back, but he held her wrist strongly. So, she went for the opposite approach and stroked him lightly with her fingers from temple to cheek. "Lest the fire burns you."

"Oh, Darcy," he moaned. He closed the hair's distance between them and locked their lips in a passionate kiss. She kissed back with equal fervor before immediately kneeing him in the balls. 

Loki fell to his knees, groaning, and released her wrist. 

Darcy smirked and wiggled her eyebrows down at him. "Told you," she taunted.

Hel came from behind Loki to Darcy's side. She looked at Darcy as she spoke to Loki, "Oh, I like her." She took her chin and looked into Darcy's eyes, "The fires of Hell burn deep within you, darling. It's hardly a wonder you two were drawn to each other."

Loki spoke through his pain, looking up at Hel, "I told you she was perfect."

Darcy looked from Hel to Loki and back, Hel's finger and eyes holding her in place.

_What are they talking about? Perfect for what? I mean, I have a thing for bad boys, but that hardly means he and I were 'drawn' to each other..._

"Listen, I just came by to return that and tell Loki, 'no thanks'." She said as she stepped away from Hel. "And I'm kinda running late to get back to work," she continued as she kept walking backwards towards her car. "So, I'm just... gonna... go." She pointed behind her before turning around and speed-walking to her car.

_Thank god that's over with!_

She glanced down at her watch. Her eyes widened.

_ShitShitShit! I really am running late!_

Running to her car, she got in and raced back into town.

Looking after Darcy, Hel spoke again, continuing as if no one had interrupted and left, "Be that as it may-." She held her other arm out to Loki and let the pendant drop from her grasp, the necklace dangling from her fingers. "She has declined your gift and refused your offer."

Loki stood up next to Hel, looking after Darcy as well. 

"Give her time. There's still another night after this one."

Hel smiled, "Her spirit is stronger than others you've brought to our realm. She would make a fine addition to Helheim."

As she turned to Loki, she said, "You have done well. Her resolve is weakening."

She turned to Loki, looked him in the eyes, and stroked his cheek,"Bring me her soul."

Loki brought her hand to his lips as he bowed his head, "As you wish, Ringmaster."

She pat his cheek, smiled in approval, and disappeared in tendrils of inky black smoke.

He looked from where she had been to where Darcy's car was, driving off into town. He smirked as he remembered the fire that burned in her eyes, how she responded so ardently to his passion. 

"It would be my pleasure," he said as he watched before turning around and disappearing behind the carnival gates as they closed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "We have to stop," she tried.
> 
> "Do we?" He leaned down, tasting her mouth with a flick of his tongue. "Must we?" He nipped her bottom lip.

Darcy raced from her car to the lab. She's late, but she hopes that she can run right in and get to work before Jane can tell her off.

She opened the door, ready to avoid eye contact and make a mad dash for her desk, when someone slammed into her yelling, "DARCY!" Stumbling back slightly at the collision of two opposing momentums, it took her a second to realize that the person against her was Jane, and Jane was hugging her.

"uh," she began, confused. "Yeah, that's me, the intern you're currently suffocating via strangulation and hair in her face."

"Oh!" She exclaimed, "Sorry!" Jane gave her a quick squeeze before hopping back. She was a live wire of excitement. 

"I just got a message from SHIELD saying that Tony Stark wants to consult with me on my experiments with the Einstein-Rosen bridge!" She told Darcy as they re-entered the lab, Darcy walking forwards while Jane walked backwards.

Turning around and walking towards her desk, Jane continued, "Stark wants to meet in Albuquerque, something about eating at that one place from that show Breaking Bad."

"Awesome!" Darcy cheered while she gathered up some notes. "Albuquerque's kind of a distance, though, so we should leave as soon as possible."

Jane paused in her movements. She turned to Darcy, an apologetic look on her face.

"Darcy," she began. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to need you to stay here overnight to monitor the device."

"Bu-." A look of horror passed over Darcy's face at the thought of spending the night in the lab. It wasn't her first time doing it, and it wasn't that it was hard. It was just such a tedious task. Nine out of ten times, nothing happens. There are no sparks, no images, just the same readings as usual and the gentle hum of electronics that threaten to put Darcy to sleep.

"Look, I know. Ok?" Jane said, gathering up things as she spoke, "The chances of anything happening tonight are slim to none, but I'd like a fresh reading and up-to-date data to give to Mr. Stark tomorrow so he can be fully updated on our progress, or lack thereof."

When she finished talking, she stopped to look at Darcy hopefully.

Sighing and rolling her eyes, she said, "Hell. What are interns for?" Then she pondered and said, "Though how you've managed to keep me as an intern this long is amazing. I don't even think I'm earning credit anymore. In fact, I think you should start paying me, lady!"

Her boss snickered at her, "If I could pay you, I would. You do remember that I built that device myself with scraps from the junk yard, right?"

"How could I forget?" Her intern replied dryly, "I was the one who spent hours looking for the specific pieces you needed."

Jane gave her a half-smile. Walking over to her, she said, "Feel free to take the rest of the day off. Just be sure to come back around twilight to start up  and monitor the device."

She took the notes from Darcy and examined them while she spoke, "I'll have my cell phone with me if you need anything or anything happens. Ok?"

When she finished, she looked up from the notes to her.

Darcy gave a mock salute, "Got it."

Before long Jane finished packing up her things and left, leaving Darcy all on her own.

Already feeling the weight of her task on her shoulders, she decided to lock up and head to her apartment for the time being.

A few hours later, after Darcy was all rested and ready to work, she made to head back to the lab. When she opened her door, she noticed a piece of paper fall to the floor. Apparently, it had been curled up between her door handle and frame.

_Strange. I didn't hear anyone outside my door..._

She shrugged before picking it up to examine it on her way out of her building.

It was another flier for the carnival, or so she thought. Upon closer inspection, Darcy realized it was an invitation to her, from Loki, to join Helheim for a one night only event. 

Darcy scoffed, "Ch'yeah. Sure. Ok."

Stepping outside, she crumpled the invitation and threw it in a nearby garbage. She dusted her hands off in a 'that takes care of that' fashion, then started walking to the lab.

As if some small part of her were still considering it, she though, _besides, even if I were mildly curious and wanted to go, I couldn't. I have science to do... and by science, I mean sit around for hours on end, watching a device that'll probably do nothing, except maybe overheat._

Her shoulders slumped at the thought. It was going to be a long night.

~x~ 

A few hours had passed, and surprise, surprise, nothing had happened. 

Darcy sat at her desk, resting against the hand of her propped up arm, checking Facebook. She made sure to face the device so that every once in a while she could glance over at the machine to check for signs of well... anything. Meanwhile, all her friends were either out partying or doing whatever it was they did when they weren't posting on social media. She sighed, putting down her phone, and got up to get a closer look at the monitor to examine the data. Not that she understood what the data meant, but she could read what the data said. 

Looking for anomalies, she failed to notice when someone entered the lab. He stood for a moment, looking around before speaking.

"So this is where you run off to everyday, and now, evening, I suppose, instead of exploring the carnival with me."

Darcy whirled around, a squeak of surprise escaping her throat before her breath caught it and held it back.

"Loki," she breathed out, but then continued sternly. "What the hell are you doing here?"

He looked at her. "I could ask you the same question. Did you not receive my invitation?"

"Invitation? Nope. Can't say I have," she lied. It would've been convincing if her voice wasn't an octave higher than normal. 

Loki grinned. He stepped toward her, skimming his fingers along her desk as he went. He replied in a singsong voice, "You're lying." 

She tried not to falter her stance, but she still shifted uncomfortably as he drew nearer. With confidence in her voice, she replied, "And if I am?"

"Well, then that would mean that you did get my invitation, that you chose here-." He gestured around the lab. "-instead of the endless wonders of the carnival. All because of little old me," he mused.

As he finished speaking, he stopped, a few feet still between him and her. His grin twitched from a quiet laugh as he watched for her reaction.

A laugh escaped Darcy at the absurdity of his reasoning, or so she told herself. He wasn't far off. Because as much as she didn't want to be, she found herself attracted and entranced by Loki.

"Someone's a little full of himself," she replied. "Listen. You may be sexy, mysterious, talented with a knife, and-and." He had taken steps closer to her with each trait she listed off, causing her to falter and back into the device. Loki followed her, closing the distance between them. He grabbed her, both hands on either side of her face, and pulled her into him, smashing his lips against hers before she could finish speaking.

Darcy flailed her arms at the force of his pull. The grip on her face was firm. She brought her hands to his elbows to pull them off her, but the way in which he dominated the kiss set fire to her libido. So she clung on to his arms instead.

When Loki pulled away, both of them were breathless, panting.

She smirked up at him, running her hand down his arm to where his rested on her face. "Ok," she breathed. "The domineering thing is a little hot too."

He smirked in response and pulled her back in for another kiss. This one was more demanding, openmouthed, and hot.  He moved his hands to her ass, squeezing it firmly. She let out a small moan in response.

Using his grip on her curves, he grabbed and lifted her, causing her to wrap her legs around him and grip his face as he did hers moments ago.

He carried her to a nearby desk. Moving to nibble and kiss at her neck, he was able to see its contents so he could swipe them off the desk and onto the floor. He continued his attention on her, adding sucking at the base of neck to the nipping and kissing, as he set her down on the desk. When he bit her, she bucked her hips in response. Satisfied that he left a sufficient mark on her skin, he kissed and licked up her neck until he claimed her lips again.

She tugged at his hair. His hands worked their way under her sweater at the back, attempting to remove it from her, she assumed. However, when he got to her bra, he released the clasp. Lightly dragging his fingertips across, he made his way to her front to grasp her breast. Her hips rubbed against him again. 

Darcy needed to get back in control of the situation.  _Not because I want to show dominance, but because he needs to leave so I can focus on work_ , she tried to convince herself. She tried to back up onto the desk to put some space between them, but his hand on the small of her back stopped her from getting too far. He responded by rolling and pinching her hardening nipple, a move that sent an ache right to her core, soaking her already wet lingerie and caused her to jerk her hips towards him. 

She whined due to frustration and her growing want. He took that as a sign to push forward and lowered her back onto the desk. His other hand snaked its way to the front of her pants, stroking the warmth between her legs through her jeans. It caused such delicious friction that Darcy moaned into the kiss, her lower lips swollen with desire.

Lifting from her, Loki broke the kiss and brushed her nipple, watching her catch her breath. She inhaled sharply and bit her lip. 

A wolfish grin appeared on his face before he lowered himself back down to her lips.

Darcy ceased his movement, pushing her hands against his chest. "Wait," she breathed, annoyed at herself at how breathless he made her. 

"We have to stop," she tried.

"Do we?" He leaned down, tasting her mouth with a flick of his tongue. "Must we?" He nipped her bottom lip. 

Letting out a long sigh, she replied, "Yes." She tried to push him off her, but he remained unmoved. "I have to get back to work," her tone more unyielding, aided by her annoyance at his refusal to listen. 

He removed his hands from her, using them to lean on as he made to move off of her. She leaned up to follow when he stopped, still leaning over her when she was propped up on her elbows. Darcy knit her eyebrows together, looking up at him questioningly. 

"Come with me to the carnival," Loki enjoined, eyeing her from eyes to lips and back. 

She raised her eyebrow at him. "No," came her response to his audacity.

Loki smirked, raising an eyebrow at the challenge. Lifting her chin up, he swished his tongue just above her voice box. He repeated the motion all along her neck until he reached where her jaw met her ear. Her breath came out shaky and pulse quickened. His tongue dragged from below her jaw to just behind her earlobe, finishing with a swirl of his appendage. He sucked and licked before nipping at the skin. She whined. Moving to her ear, he insisted, "Come to the carnival with me."

She turned her head, her cheek brushing against his, to whisper in his ear, "N-No."

He moved back, maintaining contact with her cheek until he could face her. He searched her eyes. The hand on her chin went to tuck her hair behind her ear, caressing her cheek with his thumb.

"It is our second-to-last night in this town, Darcy. I don't know when or if we will come back this way for a long time."

Her eyebrows twitched down before maintaining indifference.

"It would be a shame if you did not get to experience all that life has to offer."

She raised an eyebrow at that, daring him to make further assumptions on her lust for life.  

He flashed her an apologetic half-smile.

"And...I would miss you."

Her other eyebrow shot up to join the one already raised. She was not expecting that. Up until this point, Loki had been cocky, sassy, and wanton.  He had never even hinted at his desire for her being anymore than physical.

"Would you allow me this last night to spend time with you before we are both gone from our lives forever?"

 _Ok, well, that's a bit dramatic_ , she thought.

He spoke with such earnest though, and she wanted to explore more of this side of him, if only for the night. Her curiosity would always eat at her otherwise.

Darcy glanced around him at the device, considering. She could leave the device on. _I'll only be gone for a few hours anyway._

"Only a few hours?" She inquired hopefully. 

Loki grinned at her. He backed up to allow her space to get up. "I shall have you back before midnight, Cinderella."

She rolled her eyes. "Please. If anything, I am totally Anna from Frozen."

"As my lady commands," he said, bowing and holding his hand out to her.

Darcy laughed at his showmanship. She took his hand. He kissed the back of it before placing it in the crook of his arm and escorting her out of the lab and to the carnival.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy rolled her eyes. Biting her lip, she made to move towards the bike, slowly, considering her options. After a few seconds, she sighed and thought, 'Live a little, Lewis!'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day?! That's totally unheard of... Probably won't happen again. We should take a moment to appreciate this... Ok, now back to your regularly scheduled A/N :P.
> 
> Not beta'd, so all mistakes are mine own.
> 
> no copyright intended.
> 
> Oh! During the performance, if you want to know, I had envisioned the Narnian Lullaby playing.

Outside of the lab, she moved in the direction towards her car, expecting him to follow. A tug pulled her to a stop. Loki stood in place, eyeing her with his head slightly turned in her direction.

"What? My car's in this direction," she explained.

A small grin played on his lips as he inclined his head in the opposite direction. 

Looking that way, Darcy saw a motorcycle perched against the curb. She looked back to Loki who raised his eyebrow in invitation.

"Oh Hell no! I'm not getting on that thing," she exclaimed.

Keeping her on his arm, he moved them both towards his bike. "Now, now. It won't be that bad."

She scoffed, "Yeah, like riding the bullet."

He smirked at that, moving to get onto the bike. "This is not a Stephen King novel, I assure you." 

"Riight. And you don't have a Devil-may-care attitude."

"Precisely," he said. "The Devil may care, but I do not. Therefore, I will not let him have you this day."

Darcy rolled her eyes. Biting her lip, she made to move towards the bike, slowly, considering her options. After a few seconds, she sighed and thought, _Live a little, Lewis!_

Taking off her glasses, she tucked them into her jeans pocket, and hopped onto the bike behind Loki. Looking over his shoulder at her, he said, "Hold on tight," then started the engine. She wrapped her arms around his torso. Ducking her head into his back, she thought, _Oh god. Why am I doing this?_  The bike jolted at the start, but then glided smoothly on the streets of Puente Antiguo.

She looked around, resting her head against his back, watching the blurry town break away to darkened desert. Which, yes, was also blurry, but given that it was dark and that her eyesight wasn't that horrible, Darcy could pretend it wasn't. The desert always seemed endless, like the people of the town were stuck in the middle of nowhere, and if they tried to get out, they'd be stuck wandering the desert for all eternity. At night, the desert disappeared into the darkness, as if the darkness would swallow you whole if you decided to wander into it. At least, that's what Darcy pondered on some of her more dramatic days. She shook her head to rid herself of that train of thought. 

Minutes later, they arrived at the carnival. Crowds of people were wandering in, but she didn't recognize anyone. _I almost never see anyone else from town out here._  

Distracted by the people, she failed to notice that Loki was leading her to a tent she hadn't visited before. It was the largest of the tents at the center of the carnival. She walked forward, heading towards the entrance, when her escort directed her another way.

Darcy looked at him confused. 

"Hel asked to meet with you before the show," he explained.

"What?" Came her reply.

"It was just as much her invitation as it was mine," he said as he pulled part of the tent aside. "Apparently, she taken a liking to you," he teased.

She was going to respond, but as she entered the tent, a voice coming towards them cut her off. 

"Darcy! I'm so glad you could join us!" Hel said as she approached them. Reaching down, she drew Darcy into a tight hug. Surprised at the sudden familiarity, Darcy returned the hug with a pat on the back.

It wasn't until Hel pulled away that she was able to see her attire. She wore stiletto boots, skin-tight leather pants, and a black tailcoat that showed off and enhanced her bust nicely. It was provocative yet classy. The ends of the tailcoat flowed and floated in a breeze that didn't exist. But then Darcy realized that it probably had to do with the fact that the ends of the tailcoat were attached to Hel's pinkies, causing it to look like it was a flowing mass of black. She had the whole mystical, mysterious ringleader thing down, even to the very top of her head where she dawned a lacy, worn top hat.

"Hi, Hel!" she replied, "Thanks for the invite. I'm sorry I can't stay long."

She looked from Darcy to Loki, curiously, for an explanation.

"Darcy was working late when I went to retrieve her for the show. It would appear that she has to work tonight, but I convinced her to take a break to come see the performance." In the midst of his explanation he had stepped up beside Darcy and held her to him by her waist. "I promised to have her back in a few hours."

Eyeing him, she scolded, "Sneaky boy. You should know better. But-." She moved her gaze from Loki to Darcy and smiled. "Since you're already here, you might as well enjoy what time you have left."

Hel gestured to the opening that lead further inside the tent. Darcy smiled nervously at her as she walked past before turned away and walking into the tent with Loki. She was still unsure of the woman. The  way she spoke seemed...off. Like there were so many way you could interpret her speech, and you're not sure which one she intended for you.

They sat at the bottom of the stands. While they waited for the show to start, Loki turned towards her. Taking her hand in his, horizontally, he brought it up to his lips and kissed the back of her fingers while looking into her eyes.

"Thank you for accompanying me this evening, Darcy," he said.

She smiled at him trying to ignore the flutter of her heart at the gesture. "Does that really do something for you?"

He looked at her in amused confusion.

"The whole, 'kissing the back of my hand' thing," she clarified. "Do you do it because you enjoy it? Or is it just a habit?" She squeezed his fingers in hers before turning her hand so that his fingers now rested atop hers. "Or are you trying to tell me that you want me to do it too?"

She brought his hand up to her mouth and kissed it. Keeping eye contact, she flicked her tongue between his fingers. His eyes dilated a little in response as he lifted a finger up from her hand in invitation. She took it, slipping the digit into her mouth and sucking on it. She licked, sucked, and swirled her tongue around his finger, giving him a taste of what could have been, if they had the time. With a final nip at his finger, she withdrew it from her mouth.

The green of his eyes almost disappeared as his pupils dilated further. Slipping his hand from hers, he took hold of her chin and drew her forward for a kiss. It wasn't as heated as back in the lab, but he still made her feel like putty in his hands. Pulling back a little, he used his grip on her chin to open her mouth before diving in with his tongue. At first, he teased her with a taste of him on her buds. Before she could respond or follow suit, he took his tongue out, still holding her in place by her chin. His tongue entered her mouth again, this time swirling around her tongue. The movement she made to counter his made for an intoxicating sensation and taste in her mouth, leaving her breathless. No doubt, he was giving her a preview of what she would be missing when he left. When he retreated again, this time she followed him with her tongue.

Loki sucked her tongue into his mouth, kissing her as their tongues fought for dominance. 

A throat clearing behind them stalled their movement. 

Darcy's eyes moved from Loki's to their surroundings, and the private bubble burst. She was so wrapped up in their little game of teasing that she forgot they were in a tent filled with people.

She muttered a 'sorry' to the person behind her before turning away from them and Loki to face the center ring. Her cheeks were aflame with embarrassment, and lust, and that made her more embarrassed. So she sat still, stiff as a board, refusing to meet anyone's eyes.

"Darcy," Loki tried quietly.

She wouldn't look at him.

He stroked her cheek with the back of his index finger.

She bit her lip.

"Darcy," he whispered, some small amusement could be heard in his voice. 

Leaning over, he kissed her cheek and moved away. The next thing she felt was him picking up her hand. He moved it until it was level with his face and kissed the back of her palm. He placed her hand in his lap, stroking each finger and all the spaces between with his index finger.

Her fingers twitched, but she still made no move to look over at him.

Darcy heard him sigh as he picked her hand up again. She almost felt bad for just suddenly ignoring him and was about to turn and apologize when he leaned over and whispered to her. "Darcy. Do you know what you do to me, Darcy? This-." He placed her hand on his pants over his hardened cock. He squeezed her hand with his and groaned, licking the lobe of her ear. "-is what you do to me."

Eyes widened in shock, Darcy looked over at Loki, a smug smile on his lips. She didn't have an explanation as to why the act enraged her so, but that plus the smug smile caused her to snap out of her coyness and slap him across the face.

"Of all the ways to get my attention. I mean.. Seriously? I mean, I know we were hitting it off there, but incase it wasn't clear by my reaction to being caught. I don't do PDA!" She whispered sternly in a rush.

Rubbing his cheek, he looked back at her, a grin on his face, "There's my little hellfire. Thought I'd lost you there for a second."

She rolled her eyes and stared straight ahead. She seemed to be doing that a lot with him. "Yeah, THAT's why you did it. It's totally not because you're a lecherous asshole or anything."

He scooted a little closer and said, "If I might, it takes two to wield that kind of passion. You, my dear, are just as lecherous as I am."

She conceded with a sigh, "I'm not going to deny there's something here."

The grin came back.

"BUT that doesn't mean I like it all out in the open like that." She glanced at him and added, "Even if it's to shake me out of an awkward moment."

She nudged him with her shoulder. 

After a minute Darcy made a decision. If she was going to enjoy this last night of theirs, then she was going to make it work. She spoke again, "Alright. Come on. We're going to enjoy these last few hours together like we're a couple in the midst of romance."

Grabbing his hand, she moved it around herself and placed it on her shoulder opposite him. 

"Very well," Loki said, a half-smile on his face. He leaned in to place a kiss on her forehead. She leaned into him and rested her head against his shoulder while they waited for the show to start. It was weird how they slipped into that so easily, but it felt kinda right.

A few minutes later everything went dark save for a spotlight in the center. Suddenly a puff of black smoke appeared in the spotlight and out came Hel.

"Greetings everyone! Welcome to Helheim!" Cheers erupted from the stands. "We are so glad you could join us on our tour. We've enjoyed your company and patronage so much that we decided to put on this extra special performance the night before our last night in town." 

Cheers and hoots sounded throughout the tent.

"Our first performer will be...me."

As soon as she finished her sentence all the lights went out. Everyone murmured, their curiosity building with each passing second. The sound of a whip cracking brought everyone to silence. 

The whip sounded again, this time lighting a torch at the edge of the ring. Five snaps later and six torches lit up the circle around her. Though the lights were dim, it created the perfect atmosphere for her performance. There was a sense of awe and magic to the scene.

A man appeared beside Hel, a flaming torch in his hand. He inhaled and shot fire into the air. Darcy's eyes widened at the feat. She'd seen videos, but never watched a performance like it up close. He did it a second time, only this time the flames took on a shape. Rising from the flames was a bird made of fire. It flew from the spurt and glided around the tent over the audience. 

"Whoa," Darcy breathed. Loki chuckled beside her. 

She lifted her head from him, smacked him lightly, and said, "Hey, you see this everyday. Let me enjoy it as the newbie that I am."

He chuckled again, but nodded at her to continue.

Looking back, she saw that they had conjured another fire creature. This time it was a horse, galloping around and around the circle, Hel's whip beckoning it to go faster. 

More creatures appeared in the same manner. Every pass brought them closer and closer to the audience. She could feel the heat of the flames each time they passed.

At some point, she rested her head against Loki's shoulder again, becoming drowsy. The low lighting and warm atmosphere were all too comfortable.

>   _Laughing and smiling, she made her way out of the tent with Loki in tow. She dragged him over to the snacks and bought a few for them to enjoy. She held out the pretzel for him to take a bite, only to steal it away and take a bite herself. She held the bite inbetween her teeth, daring him to take it. He growled and moved forward, flicking his tongue out to pull the piece into his mouth._

Darcy stirred. There was now a belly dancer performing, the tent still only lit by the same six torches.  She moved and swayed her hips, her body like a snake being charmed from its basket.

>   _Everything was spinning until everything was right-side up. She looked at Loki from her place on his target. He had somehow convinced her to try it out._
> 
> _"Get a feel for being tied down," he had said with an eyebrow wiggle._
> 
> _Stepping onto the footrests of the target she had teased, "What makes you think I don't already know the feeling?"_
> 
> _And that's when he spun her._
> 
> _He kissed her then, as her mind righted itself from the spinning._
> 
> _"Yes," he said, "But you've never been tied down by me."_

Darcy awoke from drifting off to find flames spinning in a circle. A man and a woman were dancing with flaming batons. They flipped and spun, dancing to the rhythm of the carnival band.

>   _She was running through the maze, shouting for Loki to come find her. She had told him that if he caught her, then they would go back to her place for a little continuance of what happened in the lab._
> 
> _Her heart was racing as she listened for the sound of his footsteps, the whisper of his voice, but she heard nothing. Still running, she turned to look back and see if he was close, but she saw only the walls of the maze._
> 
> _She turned back around to see where she was going. An end with two paths to choose from lay before her. Looking down, she saw footprints of previous passengers of the maze. Robert Frost's poem flashed in her mind. She took the road less traveled by._
> 
> _Turning a few more corners, she was becoming hopeful that she would reach the end before Loki found her. She giggled as she rounded another corner only to halt before she ran into the wall. It was a dead end._
> 
> _She turned back around to retrace her steps and try the other way, but paused when she saw Loki blocking her path. A wolfish grin was on his face, his teeth and hungry eyes glinting in the low light. She walked towards him slowly, raising her hands in surrender. He sprung towards her, bending down to grab her by the waist and hoist her over his shoulder to carry her out of the maze and back to his Harley._

She awoke with a start. Loki took notice, stroking her arm with his hand that was still wrapped around her, comforting her. Curious as to why he thought she might need comfort, Darcy looked to the ring. A lion was being tamed. No, wait... It was a lion of fire. ' _The performance must almost be over if they're ending it with an encore_ ,' she thought. The sounds of the pan flutes playing caused her to drift again.

>   _A flash of heat and desire rolled through her. Darcy was between Loki's legs, taking him in her mouth. She enjoyed the way he tasted. Swirling her tongue at his tip, he pushed her off of him._
> 
> _Suddenly another image came forward, Darcy on her back with Loki between her legs. Her body writhing under his tongue's talented attention inside her._
> 
> _A flash and the scene changed again. Their naked bodies undulated against each other. Having driven each other mad with teasing, both were sweating from exhaustion, but neither were relenting in their passion for each other._
> 
> _Loki entered her, moans escaped both their lips. He started slowly, pulling out until just the tip of him remained, and then entered her achingly slow once more. Each time he left a little more of himself inside her, but he increased the force of his thrusts. Until finally, he went back to pulling all the way out and back in, pounding into her fast and hard, his pelvis hitting her clit on the outside while his head hit her sweet spot on the inside. She clenched around him as the intensity overwhelmed her. He leaned down, taking a nipple into his mouth, teasing it with his tongue before he nipped it, while pinching her other nipple at the same time. That brought her over the edge and she came hard. He road out her orgasm until he followed her a minute later. They collapsed exhausted._
> 
> _Loki moved off of her, but gathered her in his arms and pulled her against him. He kissed her on the cheek before nuzzling into her hair. He whispered,"Now you're mine."_

Darcy awoke with a start, sitting up at the force of her awakening. Her alarm blared at her from her bedside table. Looking over, she saw that it read 10:30am.

"Shit," she cursed under her breath. Looking around the room in confusion before looking down at herself. She was naked beneath her sheets. "What the hell happened last night?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Opening her mouth, she searched for the words that she would say if the situation were reversed. Nothing. What could she say? 'Hi Jane, sorry about your machine. I just thought my time would be better spent goofing off with some silvertongued bad boy..'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm baaaack.
> 
> So sorry for the long hiatus!
> 
> I never intended to take one.
> 
> But now I'm back with a new chapter!... it's a short chapter, but... I'm already working on the next one! 
> 
> I have the next couple of chapters outlined and ready to write. Hopefully, I'll have the next chapter out on Wednesday *cross your fingers*

Darcy glanced around the room, clutching her blanket to her chest. Not that she could actually see anything clearly without her glasses. The fact that she couldn't though helped her to try to focus on the events of the previous night.

She remembered the fire creatures and wandering around the carnival with Loki, but she didn't remember leaving the carnival. One second she was at the carnival, and the next, her and Loki were doing the dirty on her sheets. As she remembered the feeling of his body, the warmth and smoothness of his skin moving against hers, she shivered and felt her cheeks warm. She shook her head. It was all just a vivid dream, but she couldn't shake the imagery. 

Lost in reliving the moment, Darcy jumped when her alarm clock blared at her from her nightstand. 

"Shi-" she breathed as she jumped and looked over to it. "Oh SHIT!" Her clock read 10:10am in bright red numbers. She was late to meet Jane at the lab-.

_The lab! The machine! Oh no. Oh nonono-_

Darcy jumped out of bed and raced around her room to grab clothes and dress, all the while praying to whatever gods were listening, _Please, please, PLEASE let no bad have happened._

She chants different variations of this over and over in her head as she makes her way across her apartment, grabbing her keys, coat, hat, and heading out the door. 

Stepping outside, she took a breath of fresh air, and tried to calm herself as she hurriedly walked toward the lab.

_Maybe it won't be that bad. Maybe the meeting with Stark went really well, and this tiny little mistake will seem like a blip on the radar of things to come. ...Yeah, and I'm also the queen of Asgard._

She sighed as she kept walking. When she reached the doors to the lab, she took a deep breath and entered. 

Disaster.

Everywhere. Disaster.

She surveyed the damage as she slowly walked into the room. Darcy didn't know where to start. Smoke was rising from the machine. Parts of it looked charred and broken. Looking towards her desk, she saw that her computer was destroyed. A piece of the machinery had impaled her computer from back to front. From there, her eyes moved around the lab, seeing chunks of the machine everywhere. 

Making her way towards her desk, she jumped when the sound of the fire extinguisher broke the silence. Looking towards it, she saw Jane coming from behind the machine, extinguisher in hand. She had yet to notice Darcy standing there, too busy trying to salvage what was left of the machine. 

Opening her mouth, she searched for the words that she would say if the situation were reversed. Nothing. What could she say? _Hi Jane, sorry about your machine. I just thought my time would be better spent goofing off with some silvertongued bad boy-oh my god. Is she crying?! Shit._

Darcy was just about to speak, something, anything to break the silence, when part of the machine caught fire. Her simple 'hi' had turned into a squeak, causing Jane to jump, fire extinguisher at the ready. 

"Darcy?" Jane exclaimed before turning back around to put out the fire. 

Whirling back around, she was met with a frustrated, tear-stained Jane.

"H-hi, Jane," she tried softly, waving weakly. "Uhh.."

"Darcy, what happened?" Jane asked.

"Well...uh. You see.... The thing is...," Darcy began.

Sparks flew from a nearby computer, cutting Darcy off. 

"Ugh!" Jane screamed exasperatingly, "I don't have time for this! SHIELD will be here soon, and everything is a mess!"

She put down the extinguisher and ran around to gather files and papers that were scattered over their desks. 

"SHIELD? But I thought....." Darcy followed her around, confused. "Jane, what happened. I thought your meeting was with Tony Stark?"

"It was. Stark works with SHIELD as a consultant."

"Wait..What?" She ran in front of Jane, hands on he shoulders to stop her. "Jane. Stop. Breath. Tony Stark. SHIELD. I'm just an intern, Jane. You're going to have to catch me up."

"Just an intern. That's right..." Jane mumbled quietly. She looked lost in thought before shaking Darcy's grip and proceeding to gather things and make notes.  Darcy knit her brows together in confusion.  

She started getting excited, like she was on the verge of a new discovery, "Listen, last night Stark offered me a lab with up-to-date equipment and a full-time staff, and interns, actual interns who are in the field of astrophysics and know what I'm talking about. I'd be working under SHIELD, but Stark promised me that I'd be working in his building and out from under SHIELD's nose."

At that moment, the lab doors opened and men in black suits and sunglasses walked in. They spread out and started gathering all the data: CPU's, research journals, schematics, everything. 

Jane looked from them to a very confused and shocked looking Darcy.

"So... Thing is, Darcy. I don't need you as my intern anymore," she said as she turned away and handed her things off to a nearby SHIELD agent. "Maybe, I can talk to someone about getting you an internship in a campaign office or something. Someone high up. I mean, it's SHIELD, right? They're bound to have connections in office. Right?"

"Right.." Darcy croaked out. This was all starting to look familiar, her mind flashing back to a tent filled with mirrors, and visions of paperwork danced in her head. "I just...I'm going to go get some fresh air for a minute."

Jane was already distracted by what the agents were grabbing and what they were leaving behind, walking off to inspect the equipment. 

She had to get out of there.

Bursting through the doors, she walked down the street. Holding herself, she  tried hard not to burst into tears. Once a few escaped though, it was hard to hold the rest at bay. So, she took the nearest turn and ended up leaning against an alley wall, letting the tears fall away from prying eyes.

Darcy knew that astrophysics wasn't really her thing, she was a political science major after all. But after all they had been through, she thought that her and Jane had sort of become friends.

She cried quietly to herself as she slid down the brick wall. Visions of desk work and being buried in paperwork in the basement of a SHIELD office danced in her head.

'Maybe it won't be so bad. Maybe Jane is right and they'll find me a good position in someone's campaign office,' she tried. Her lips thinned as she considered the possibility. She doubted that SHIELD cared that much about an intern.

Sniffing, she reached into her jacket pocket in search of some tissues. First pocket, nothing. Second pocket, her heart jumped as her hand came in contact with a familiar circular object, Loki's Pendant. Somehow, it had ended up in her pocket. She narrowed her eyes as she took it out to take a closer look. 

Suddenly, she wasn't sad anymore. She was angry. 

"Loki," she gritted through her teeth.

She didn't know exactly how or why, but Darcy had a strong feeling that this was his fault, him and that stupid carnival. It was his fault she's been distracted at work. It was his fault she was late from her lunch break. And though she's still unsure about what happened the previous night, it was his fault she left the lab alone all night long.

Getting off the ground, Darcy marched off to her car. She was going to get some answers.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He hummed against her back and huffed a laugh, "Oh Darcy, you can't deny that there's something between us." He moved to skim his lips from her cheek to her ear, almost whispering, "You too felt the spark between us when we kissed in the Tent of Desires." His breath puffed against her ear as he spoke, teeth scraping against her lobe as mentions their kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New Chapter! 
> 
> So sorry for the long wait. 
> 
> One more chapter to go and then it's the epilogue!

"Loki!" Darcy yelled out as she walked up to the abandoned-looking carnival. She stopped at the gates, trying to see if there was movement within. Nothing, nothing but the wind sweeping up the dirt along with the fabric of the tents. It still held that same charcoal, burnt smell as the day before and looked just as abandoned too.

"Screw this," she murmured. She felt stupid. The last time she showed up like this, it didn't turn out how she planned. She threw the pendant through the gate, turned, and started walking.

"You called, darling?" Came a voice behind her, followed by the clang of metal.

Her steps stuttered. She could turn around, let him have it, after all, she was angry enough. But she didn't want to, not after hearing his smug, accented voice, so she kept walking. 

"Oh come now, Darcy," his voice followed her, along with the sound of his footsteps. "Don't be like that, not after the magical night we shared."

Right," she replied, stopping dead in her tracks. Whirling around, she noted that he had stopped as well, his presence feet from her. Narrowing her eyes at him, she continued, "Our 'magical' night together. Let's talk about that. Shall we?"

"One second we're at the carnival, enjoying the fire show, and the next I'm having flashes of memory stolen from me. I woke up in my bed, naked! What the hell happened, Loki?" She yelled at him.

Loki didn't answer right away. The look on his face made her think that he definitely knew something she didn't. Then again, his face always looked like that, like he had a myriad of secrets, but you could never tell if he spoke truth or lies. She decided she didn't want to know what he had to say. She couldn't trust he'd tell her the whole truth. When he made to reply a moment later, Darcy cut him off. "On second thought, I don't want to know. I'd rather live in blissful ignorance than know about the sordid details. I just came to return that bad luck charm you call a necklace and say good riddance."

"Are you sure about that, Darcy?" Loki began, taking a step towards her and another with each sentence spoken. His eyes trapping her gaze as he walked. "Are you not curious about last night's events? Are you certain that not one night will pass without you aching to know what could have happened?"

Darcy's jaw dropped, and she took a step back and replied shakily, "I-I told you. I don't remember what happened last night."

"Oh, but I'm not just talking about last night, darling," he said, taking another few steps. This gave her pause, her curiosity getting the better of her. He took another step, coming to her side, but he didn't stop there. Circling around to the back of her, he continued, "The night we first met, for instance. You cut your hand, and I...relieved your pain." 

Her hand tingled as he spoke. It was the night that started it all, the interaction that intrigued her to return. She remembered the feel of his tongue, warm against her palm as he licked her wound. It had been entrancing, but hadn't blinded her to all the details. 

"Yeah, a pain that you caused." Darcy snapped back. She made to move around him to her car, but his arm stopped her. Using that arm, he brought her back to her previous stance, and wrapped it around her waist. Ignoring her response, he leaned down, brought his lips to her ear and said, "And the next night, when we met again..."

The memory flashed before her eyes. 

[ **Rolling her eyes and head simultaneously, she let out a single laugh at that.**

**"We may have only just met, but I have trouble believing you are capable of 'good' behavior," she said, eyeing him warily.**

**Loki moved closer into her personal space. His face a breath away from hers as he said his next words, "Oh, given the right motivation, I can be very good." He finished by moving her hair behind her other ear, his thumb stroking her cheek as he went.**

**Darcy shivered at his words as well as his touch. His gaze holding her there.** ]

Reliving the moment with her, Loki moved her hair behind her ear and reminisced with her, "I showed you some of the wonders of the carnival, all the more you could see by coming with me." 

Darcy stared off in the distance. She remembered the tent of mirrors, remembered all that they had showed her. It brought her back to this morning when her worst fears came true. She frowned and her eyes began to water. She didn't want to focus on that. She wanted to focus on being angry at Loki. But now that she was thinking on it, she couldn't help but wonder what she would do now. She didn't have a ton of money, not enough to travel back and keep going to school anyway. It looked like working for SHIELD would be her best option. "And now I'll be typing and filing paperwork for the rest of my days," she finished with a sigh. It would only be for a short time, is what she wanted to believe, but deep down, she knew that wouldn't be so. And that's not what she wanted for herself. She felt lost.

Loki stroked her cheek before moving to take her chin. As he turned her face towards him, he said, "Not if you don't want to." She lowered her eyebrows at that. "You can still choose to come with me." Darcy turned away from him and looked back towards the carnival. She remembered the other mirror images too. The images that had flashed before her showed her all the realms she could visit. There had been joy, excitement, and even ...passion. Loki continued on, "Travel with me, be apart of my act, and see the worlds that others of your kind can only dream of. Come with me, and we can be together." As he spoke, he wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned down so that his face was next to hers, looking out at the carnival with her. 

She scoffed at that, "And why would I want that? You have been nothing but trouble since the first day I met you."

He hummed against her back and huffed a laugh, "Oh Darcy, you can't deny that there's something between us." He moved to skim his lips from her cheek to her ear, almost whispering, "You too felt the spark between us when we kissed in the Tent of Desires." His breath puffed against her ear as he spoke, teeth scraping against her lobe as mentions their kiss. Darcy shivered. "And remember last night in the lab," he crooned, moving down to place his lips on her neck. His arms loosening their hold so his hands could explore her curves. "You were laid out before me, letting go of reason, and giving into your desires."

As he spoke, his lips moved between the sensitive spot behind her ear to the juncture between her neck and shoulders. His hands caressed her hips, slid up her sides and over her breasts, only to tease his fingertips along the seams of her top. All the while, her hands molded themselves to his arms, following his movements but not necessarily stopping him. The way he touched her and the words he spoke lit a fire within her. She should be fighting back, she knew that, but he was right. Everyday that he's been in town, she'd been drawn to him. He carried with him a sense of adventure and mystery. _Plus the whole 'mischievous, bad boy thing' is kind of a turn on_ , she mused to herself. The passion and excitement he promised her called to her like a beacon in a now dreary-looking world.

Loki could tell that her resolve was weakening. Whether she knew it or not, the tension her body exuded had started to lessen the more he talked to her. He moved up to skim his nose along the shell of her ear and continued to entice her, "Give in, Darcy. Come away with me."

Darcy sighed, making a decision she would surely regret. _But hey. What's life without a few regrets, right?_

Dropping her hands in surrender, she replied, "Alright, Mr. Silvertongue. I'll come with you."

She could feel him smile against her ear, then a tickle at her neck. Looking down, she saw that he was fastening the pendant around her neck again. 

Waving her hands up in front of her to loosen his hold on her, she said, "But I am not wearing that 1950's get up."

She turned around and carried on, pointing her finger up at his smirking face, "And just because I'm coming along does not mean you get a free pass into my pants, mister. We get separate beds in separate rooms or tents or however things work in that carnival."

His smirk turned into a grin. "Very well. As milady commands," he vowed as he gave her a short bow. Darcy rolled her eyes at him, but allowed herself a small smile. 

When Loki straightened up, he extended his arm out for her to take. Darcy's smile wavered as she tried not to laugh at his ridiculousness. Taking his arm, she asked sarcastically, "So what now? Are we off to see the wizard?" 

He chuckled and started walking, "Not quite. We do have to visit with Hel though, sign some paperwork, and get you all settled."

' _Hel will be most pleased_ ', Loki thought while they made their way to the carnival.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy meets with Hel about joining the Carnival.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short chapter, but only because the next one is going to be a little long....Then the epilogue!

Darcy and Loki made their way deeper into the carnival. It was a different experience, walking through it in the daytime. Without the colorful crowd or the lit fires, everything seemed dull and grey. If it hadn't been for the sky or the color of her coat, Darcy would've thought she entered a parallel universe devoid of color. She couldn't see how anyone could stand living in a place like this. Being surrounded by such a dreary setting had to be depressing. 

Did she really want to be surrounded by this place 24/7? The question kind of snapped her out of her little bubble. She had been so relieved to not be alone, to not be doomed to a life of no sunshine and constant paperwork, and to discover the mysteries of the carnival. However, now that she was just about to affirm her decision, she started asking herself questions: Would working for SHIELD really be that bad? Maybe. Should she really just pick up and leave everything to go with a man she just met to join a carnival that lives off the grid?

  _Oh god. They probably don't have computers or internet. How am I going to charge my ipod or change my songs?...Wait, the towns they visit will have electricity. *phew*._ Still though, Darcy was unsettled by the idea of making a commitment to this whole thing. _Maybe I can just use tonight as a trial run. If I find the thrill in it that my supposed future self does, then we'll go from there.._.

When they entered one of the tents, she saw that inside was a completely different story from the outside. It was a tent that looked like every other tent, but the inside looked so different. What was black and white on the outside was black and red on the inside. In front of them was a dark cherry desk with a black center mat. The two chairs were Victorian style with black padding. Behind the desk, the wall was lined with nicknacks, tchotchkes, and trinkets. There were so many items and yet they all blended together to create the perfect backdrop for this office. 

The sound of tinkling broke Darcy from her trance. Looking up, she saw Hel standing at the other side of the room, the beads behind her swaying to and fro. Apparently, the tent was bigger than she thought.

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise," Hel said. With a welcoming smile, she gestured for them to come in and have a seat. 

Darcy sat in the chair closest to the entrance, expecting Loki to take the seat beside her. Except he didn't, instead he came up behind her chair, and stood to the side of it. Meanwhile, Hel sat in her chair behind the desk.

He replied, "We come with glad tidings, Hel. Darcy wishes to join the carnival."

"Oh really?" Hel answered, looking from Loki to Darcy for confirmation. When each gave a nod of affirmation, she replied with a grin, "That is wonderful news!" 

Darcy looked at her in amused confusion. She didn't think it was that big of a deal. After all, she wouldn't be doing anything special.

As if reading her thoughts, Hel continued, "You have a fiery spirit and aura that will be a great addition to Helheim, Darcy."

Darcy mused aloud, "But all I'll be doing is assisting Loki with his knife-throwing act. It's nothing all that special."

"To start with, but you can choose to join others in their acts or, in time, find an act of your own," she said.

"Well, I don't know that I'll be here that long." Darcy countered. She looked from Hel to Loki and back. "Look, right now, I'm just...I'm not sure about all of this." Looking to Loki, she continued, "You're right, I am drawn to you, and this place, and I'd love nothing more than to see other worlds and perform with you. But I can't just pick up and go like that, as much as I'd want to. I'm not built that way."

Loki looked perturbed by her stubbornness, but Hel looked contemplative. 

"What do you propose then?" Hel asked.

"Well..." Darcy replied, "I was thinking I could just try it out for tonight? See how I like it. Then, I'll give you my decision...Tomorrow morning, at the latest."

Hel sat back. Resting her elbows on the armrests and pressing her fingertips together, she considered her proposal. Loki looked to Hel curiously while Darcy did the same, both their minds wondering what was going through Hel's.

"Very well." Hel conceded, "However, wether it's one night or one year, we must ere one the side of caution."

A scroll of paper appeared before them with a wave of her hand. 

"You have to tell me how you do that," Darcy stated.

"Perhaps if you decide to stay..." Hel said, presenting Darcy with a pen.

Taking it, Darcy inquired, "And what's this?"

Waving it off, Hel replied, "Oh just a waiver, claiming that if you get injured while working with us, we are not held liable."

"Riiight," she responded. 'Because you're going to let Loki throw knives at you, Darcy.'

Looking over the waiver, everything seemed standard. So she went ahead and signed her name. "Here's to not losing a finger, or my life," she said, mumbling that last bit. 

"Oh nonsense, Darcy." Loki chided, rubbing her upper arm, "I would never let anything happen to you."

"Well, I should hope not. I'm trusting you with my life after all," Darcy replied while handing Hel the waiver.

"Excellent," Hel said, taking the piece of paper from Darcy. "Loki? Won't you show our guest to your tent." 

"Certainly," Loki replied. Moving to the entrance to the tent, he opened the flap, and gestured outside while half-bowing. "This way, milady."

It would seem super cheesy if not for the cheshire cat smile on his face after he said it.

She rolled her eyes in response, 'Sarcastic asshole', but got up and stepped out all the same.

"Until tonight, Darcy," Hel bid as a farewell.

As the flap closed, Hel looked over the waiver she signed. No one ever reads the whole contract. They skim it to get the gist, but they never see the whole picture. There, just before the final paragraph were the words that were key to Hel's plan. She grinned and made the scroll disappear in the same manner as it reappeared. The final performance night would be one this town would never forget. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nearly there with the next chapter. I'm just sort of moderately stuck, but not long now!


End file.
